Boughs of colorful plastic maple leaves sprout from lamp post and telephone pole.  Pampas grass fronds wave gently from flower arrangements.  Shop window displays feature scattered yellow ginko leaves.  Everywhere in Japan Autumn has arrived, along with appropriate symbols of the season.

Such seasonal allusions are a commonly maintained tradition in contemporary Japan, derived from past usage in poetry and literature, woodblock print and scroll painting, personal correspondence and informal conversation.

Often the precision of the allusion is much more than merely seasonal.  Individual months have specific associations: plum blossoms indicate March; iris illuminate May; the pine tree, January.

Moreover, when used with skill and understanding, the reference can incorporate an emotional state of mind as well.  A tattered red maple leaf says something different, emotionally, from a crowded branch gaily waving in the wind; bright colors convey a different sense from more muted ones.

For a glimpse of Autumn scenery, click here
to visit Koto-in, a garden in Himeji.

Being exposed to all this from childhood encourages Japanese even today to add an appropriate seasonal reference to aspects of everyday life as easily as we might inquire after someone's health and well-being.  Such references tie dissimilar people to the same cultural symbol system and enable them to establish meaningful contact.

Fall has arrived, so the symbols tell me -- and remind me not only of the fleeting nature of time's passage but also the still strong hold of tradition on everyday Japanese life.